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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24441301">Five</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehelldoievenputhere/pseuds/thehelldoievenputhere'>thehelldoievenputhere</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Friendtacles [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain Marvel (2019), The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Autistic Ben Hargreeves, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:21:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>811</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24441301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehelldoievenputhere/pseuds/thehelldoievenputhere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben noticed Five's absence. It was wrong.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chewie | Goose (Marvel) &amp; Ben Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Friendtacles [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1326590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've been putting off editing this since the beginning of july, my dudes, i am so sorry</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben noticed Five's absence. He knew Five had left dinner, obviously. It was <em>wrong</em>. They were supposed to be silent at dinner. It wasn't the first time someone had talked during a dinner, of course, but it was rare, and it was <em>wrong</em>.</p>
<p>Then he didn't come back, and it was <em>wrong</em>.</p>
<hr/>
<p><br/>They had always grouped together, the higher numbers. One and Three only really cared about each other, Two was constantly jealous of One, and Four was generally high.</p>
<p>Father paired them numerically for training, so Five and Six were always together, and their rooms were also in numerical order—except Two and Three, for some reason—so they slept next door to each other. After training, they would often go visit Seven in her room to see what she was up to, and distance themselves from training, whatever it had been that day. So the three would sit in Seven's room and talk, sometimes helping her with her studies, sometimes just talking about any and everything. Except training. None of them wanted to talk about training.</p>
<p>As they grew, Six preferred hiding in the dark of his own room after individual training, but otherwise they continued their ritual.</p>
<p>Six enjoyed their company more than the other numbers—they were the quietest, and always (especially Five) said what they <em>meant</em>.</p>
<p>Six liked that they didn't force him to make eye contact, like Father did. He liked that they didn't make him speak, or yell at him for moving his hands. He liked <em>them</em>.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When they (minus Seven) started to go on missions, it was different. Ben spent more time in his room watching the bubbles in his lava  lamp. He hated summoning the tentacles from the Eldritch being. He hated killing people. He hated how his stomach would roll for hours after he'd sent the tentacles back, threatening to throw any food he ate back up. He hated it.</p>
<p>But on the days there was no mission, and he hadn't had to summon the tentacles, he still joined Five and Vanya in Vanya's room. Often he and Five would sit on Vanya's bed and listen as she played the violin. Sometimes Five and Ben would read, sometimes they would just listen. Either way, it was nice.</p>
<p>Then Five disappeared.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Everything was <em>wrong</em>. Ben's chest was... tight? And his stomach was rolling, but not like with the tentacles. Or... not <em>just</em> like the tentacles?</p>
<p>Everything was <em>wrong</em>.</p>
<p>And it was Five's fault. He'd shouted at Father. It was lunch, they weren't supposed to speak—they were supposed to be <em>quiet</em>. Then Five spoke—he <em>shouted</em>. He'd <em>shouted</em> at <em>Father</em>. They were <em>never</em> allowed to <em>shout</em> at Father. It was <em>wrong</em>.</p>
<p>Ben didn't know <em>what</em> Five was shouting at Father, it was <em>wrong</em>, and Ben could just hear his <em>voice</em>, echoing, distorted.</p>
<p>Then Five ran off—that was wrong, too. They weren't supposed to leave until Father dimissed them. He hadn't dismissed them. Five had left. It was <em>wrong</em>.</p>
<p>Then he didn't come back.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next morning, Five wasn't at breakfast. It wasn't <em>right</em>, but it wasn't <em>wrong</em>—often one of them missed from breakfast after individual training—mostly Klaus or Ben, but it was alright. It wasn't <em>wrong</em>. It was the way that Vanya kept glancing at Five's place out of the corner of her eye. It <em>wasn't</em> wrong.</p>
<p>But the day went on, and it got worse. Rarely were any of them allowed to mis morning lessons. For one of them, for <em>Five</em> not to be there... it was <em>wrong</em>.</p>
<p>And the group training that afternoon? They were only permitted to be absent if they were unconscious and Mom couldn't revive them. Even <em>Vanya</em> had to be there—normally with the stopwatch, and she was never part of the actual training, but she was always <em>there</em>.</p>
<p>Five wasn't.</p>
<p>It was <em>wrong</em>.</p>
<hr/>
<p>By dinner, Ben was barely holding it together. He had to focus to breathe, forcing each breath out and then drawing more air in. It was exhausting, <em>and</em> he had to eat.</p>
<p>He managed to get through dinner—<em>Eat, Number Six</em>—just. They were dismissed, and Ben escaped to his room, moving as fast as his breathing would allow.</p>
<p>He found Goose already waiting for him.</p>
<p>~YOU'VE BEEN FEELING OFF ALL DAY.~ Ben nodded and busied himself with building his nest. When he'd turned the lava lamp on and settled, he spoke.</p>
<p>"Five's—" his voice <em>cracked</em>—"Five's gone." He blinked and rubbed his eyes as the lava lamp blurred.</p>
<p>~AH.~ Goose lay down, pressed into his side. ~WHAT HAPPENED?~</p>
<p>"Five, he, he shouted. At Father. Yesterday at dinner. We're supposed to eat in silence. He shouted, and then he ran out. He wasn't there today. He's <em>gone</em>." Goose headbutted his arm and started purring. Ben managed to choke out, "He didn't even say goodbye."</p>
<p>He broke down into sobs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>pls kudos &amp; comment</p></blockquote></div></div>
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